The indentification of materials when enclosed within a box or carton, without disturbing that box or carton, has been an inventory and manufacturing problem for some time. It has been an inventory problem because it is necessary to identify the goods by size, type or quantity without opening the box or carton. It has been a manufacturing problem because it is desirable to devise a box or carton which readily provides such external identification.
The most common solution to the identification of such material has been the addition of some sort of a marking or indicia on the outside of the box or carton indicative of the contents. Very often this takes the form of a label containing the size, type or quantity of the goods inside. When the same carton is to hold one of a plurality of predetermined sizes, types or quantities it is desirable to incorporate into the box or carton a mechanism by which the correct identification may be registered.
Cornell, U.S. Pat. No. 938,981, teaches the incorporation of an identification window in an end panel of his box for showing an identification label applied to a tuck flap of a box major side panel and inserted behind the window.
Ford, U.S. Pat. No. 2,054,596, teaches a box having a tear away and foldover strip in one end of the dust flap for covering an identification block in a major side panel with a blank side. A new identification number may then be written to cover the original one.
Claff, U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,632, teaches an identification window incorporated into the end panel of his box. This end panel cooperates with the dust flaps on the box to form a pocket behind the identification window for receiving a separate identification tag insertable into the pocket for viewing through the window.
Eisman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,882, teach a carton having a plurality of selectable punch-out windows in a major side panel. Each window has a pair of identification tags provided by an inner glued flap which may be selectively positioned in the window. A tag not to be viewed is folded away from the window and over the viewed tag. Tags pivot from the edge of each window and may be changed by manipulating from the outside.
Brumly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,603, teaches a carton having selectively removable window portions located at one end thereof to reveal strategically placed indicia on other flaps therebeneath. Brumly has located most of his indicia on his dust flaps, but needs additional space on the tuck flap of his major end panel for all of his preselected indicia. As a result, Brumly must locate his removable window portions in a major side panel of his carton as well as in the major end panel.
Cartons which provide identification blocks, windows or other such means on side major panels present the disadvantage that such identification means is not readily accessible when the cartons are stacked.
Cartons which provide identification pockets or windows into which tags or labels are tucked present the disadvantage of at least one additional step in the manufacturing process requiring the handling of a plurality of separate tags or labels apart from the blank forming the carton itself.
Cartons which provide identification windows on more than just a single end panel present the disadvantage of a variable location for such identification which necessitates a search for the identification.
An objective of this invention is to provide all of the possibly needed identification symbols as preprinted parts of the carton blank.
A second objective of this invention is to provide a carton having selectively removable identification window portions for disclosing one of the identification symbols wherein these windows are located only in an end panel of the carton.
A third objective is to provide more than one single identification symbol available for viewing through a single removable window portion.
A fourth objective is to provide predetermined accesses to the carton contents via the identification end panel.